Art of utilizing garbage.



J. M. W. KITCHEN.

ART 0F UTILIZING GARBAGE.

APPLICATION FILED ooT.11, 1912.

Patented June 23, 1914.

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UNiTnn sTATEs PATENT onnion.

JOSEPH MOSES WARD KITCHEN, F EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

RT- OF UTILIZING GARBAGE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J une 23, 1914.

Original application filed March 11910,Seria1 No. 546,585.' Dividedand :this application led .October 11,

1912. Serial 170.725,199.

To all whom it may concern.:

-Be .it known that I, :JOSEPH Moses WARD KITCHEN, a citizen lof the United States, residing in the city :of East Orange, county of Essex, :State of New Jersey, have in vented new and fuseful Improvements in the Art of Utilizing Garbage, of which the following Vis .a specification.

4The ipresentfapplication is for the purpose of claiming the anethod of treating garbage, and claiming the .product produced by that method, as disclosed in `my application for patent ASerial No. 546,585, filed March 1st,

1910, .(which has matured into Patent No.

1,063,886 vgranted .June 3, 1913,) of which the present .application is :a division.

The referred to application shows and claims, .apparatus 'for conveniently and .economically :carrying `out l.the method hereinafter described.

-One of the great aggregate wastes of towns and cities is the refuse food material, commonly known. as garbage. This material is 4generally utilized as swine -or poultry food at those places where such animals are kept, and without special treatment of the garbage, which is fed -in a more or less active state of decomposition. The fact that such material is usually subjected to temperatures and moisture conditions which induce active fermentative changes in it,

is a .cause for the general vregard of thisV material as being an annoying nuisance in towns and cities, which must be gotten rid of in the quickest and least objectionable manner. In `some cases garbage has kbeen treated with the purpose of abstracting fats from it and of making fertilizer from the residue thus treated. In other cases, the cremation of the material is proposed and practised, and the ashes from the cremated separate from `'the garbage, unrelated matters such as tin cans, Crockery and glass, to ydry the wgarbage, sterilize and deodorize it, and to pulverize it to a sufficiently fine pulverulent Hour-like state for its convenient handling and safe feeding to domestic animals.

In Acarrying out the Emethod, yit is very important that the process be conducted in such manner that the product .made is produced :at a very :low cost, and without offense to -residents in or around the utilization operating plant. In eecting these results, .I apply in .a measure various heat economizingand .other methods which I also apply tin a number ofother inventions. lFor example :--I apply in the method, the valuable principle .of a counter-travel in the transfer of heat, using high degrees-of vheat for accomplishing work of which high degrees of heatiazlonelare capable of performing, and utilizing low degrees of heat for performing. Work which such :low degrees of heat' are capable of performing. I utilize helpfully the force of :gravity in securing certain'results. I useJ regeneratively, waste .heat in cycle; and I utilize waste carbonaceous matters such as barrels, boxes, paper and cinders for vgenerating the heat applied in the process. It is obvious .that so simple a process as that which I use -to accomplish my object, may be carried out, lthough with perhaps less efficiency, by other forms of apparatus, than that hereinafter described, and that their descriptionl is not needed in this application.

In carrying out the method in a preferred manner I proceed as` follows I-The garbage is dumped Ona perforated platform through which water that-can be separated by dupping is eliminated from the garbage. The garbage is spread 0n this platform, which maybe a traveling one if desired, and such extraneous matters as tin cans, Crockery, bott-les, broken glass and so forth, are sepavrated from the garb-a:ge.` In some instances it may be .desirable -to separate some of the moisture from the garbage centrifugally. The 4next step is that of a preliminary coinminution of the garbage, including bones, that are fin the material, to a somewhat uniform'conditionas tothe size of its particles, so as to facilitate quick and :uniform drying aeration and sterilization of the particles.

The comminuted material is then placed on a traveling conveyer and is eXposed to the direct contact with ablast of hot air traveling in a line that is in counter direc- A tion to the travel of the garbage. 'Ihe`procis heated by forcing it through a series of metal pipes that pass through the furnace of the apparatus, which provision prevents admiirture of the air With thel gaseous products of combustion.

An important feature of my invention is my method. of deodorizing ,the garbage. Previous inventions have neglected this point and presumably on that accountlargely, the residual food elements of treated garbage have been relegated to fert-ilizing uses only. In the present invention, I provide for a sufficient aeration of the garbage, While it is being dried, heated and sterilized to eliminate from` the product offensive odors, and to a certain extent, objectionable flavors. I accomplish this result by heating the garbage lwith a current of pure air that While being heated is not admixed With gaseous products of combustion. I provide for regulating the amount of'air needed to effect .deodorization, as well as the application -of sufiicient heat to the garbage, through the air used in its deodorization; the air supply and the heating influence being under separate controls.l It requires a large volume of air to effect the aeration and elimination' of the. garbage fumes `of decomposition. This large volume of fume laden air is passed vthrough the furnace of the processing plant, in which is generated suiiicient steam to run the motor elements of the plant. lIhe heat in any excess of steam that may be produced, is utilized through its radiation and transfer to new supplies of air to be used in the heating and aerating performance. In particular I' draw attention to my procedures in this invention of regeneratively using heat in carrying out the method. This yis important, inasmuch as great economy in securing the result is economically commercially desirable.

The air after it has performed its function of sterilizing, drying and deodorizing the garbage, is drawn and forced by an eX- hauster and blower to and into the furnace of theV apparatus through suitable tvvyer pipes, both through and over the flames in the furnace. i The drier apparatus is substantially air tight. in its mcasement; and the drying and sterilizing air which becomes impregnated with the obnoxious fumes of the drying garbage, is used as air for combustion in the operation of the furnace, in

ywhich the heat of the combustion process decomposes and deodorizes the fumes. The residual gases of combustion are discharged into the atmosphere at a high level above the apparatus used, thereby securing a suiiicient air dilution ofl the gases land preventing their admiXture with the air breathed by the human beings at a loW level in or around the operating plant.

The building in Which the apparatusl vpelled to the atmosphere after fulfilling the office of air for combustion in the furnace. rlhe expulsion of the exhaust gases is conveniently assisted by an induced draft, mechanically produced,`in the chimney stack of the apparatus. Effective provision is made for controlling the temperature of the drying and sterilizing air, and for passing it over the garbage at such a rate of speed 'as Will secure the lproper drying, aeration andsterilization of the garbage Without destroying its food value. The degree of drying and heating of the garbage is controlled by the amount of air and its degrees of heat, that is passed over and in contact With the garbage and the' rapidity `of travel given to4 the conveyer of the apparatus.

Vhen the garbage has been sufficiently dried and heated, it is all usually, While it is in a Warm condition, ground to a very fine pulverulent condition so as to completely pulverize bones, glass, and crockery and metallic particles, that have been left in they garbage, and also to thoroughly admiX the various bone, meat and vegetable constituents in the garbage.

The prepared garbage is a convenient and valuable food for poultry and sWine, and may be used as a land fertilizer. It may be prepared in an inoensive manner, and be shipped and delivered as prepared Without offense. The method can be conducted in the midst of thickly populated districts Without being a menace to health or annoyance to the public.

The final comminution and pulverization of the dried and sterilized garbage can be effected by any of the known means for grinding materials of this character, and which need no illustration here; but the other steps of the method, and the principlesapplied in my invention, are exemplified by the action of the structure diagrammatically shown in the accompanying draw'- in s, in which "igure l represents in eleva-tion, and partly in section, a device which is especially designed to dry, sterilize and comminute, garbage, and to prepare that material as a food for farm animals. Fig. 2 represents a plan View of part of the device, itbeing taken on the line a-a, Fig. 1.- Fig. 3 represents on an enlarged scale a carrier p-late comprised in the traveling conveyer used in the device illustrated in Fig. l.

Various princip-al parts are represented by the following reference characters z--A is a perforated platform on which garbage is dumped. B is an elevating carrier. C is a drier. D is a furnace for burning paper and other combustible wastes. E is a' water heater. F is a boiler. G is a steam engine. H is a multiple cylinder steam motor. I is a drive shaft with pulleys. J is an induction and forcing fan. K is a chimney stack. L is one of the plates of the traveling conveyer c1. T is a hot air conduit. U is heat radiating piping. V is a` pump. W is a fluid well and seal. X is a cart. Y'is a grinder.

The elevator B and the conveyer c1, are inclosed in a sheet metal incasement, having the ports a and a1, and the door a2, all of which Ina be closely sealed. Through the door a2 t e dried refuse is removed and shipped for use, usually, and especially if the garbage is to be used for food, being first finely ground after drying. The conveyer c1 is composed of a number of conveyer plates L, which are joined together by the lugs L1 and suitable bolts. Onl the bottom of the plates L are recesseswhich re- 40 ceive the co-gs of the drive wheel d. The conveyer web is supported at the top by the rollers d, and at the bottom by the rollers e. These rollers have the ends lof their shafts supported by the side plates of the metallic incasement of thedrierapparatus. Theroofing of the incasement of the conveying device is highest at the end nearest the furnace. This construction'retains the hottest gases in that part through the action of gravity on those gases, and the conveyer which travels in a plane sloping upward toward the furnace, conveys the material to be dried up into the zone containing the gases of highest heat. The floor under the conveyer slopes toward the well W, draining thereinto any drip from the material on the conveyer. l

In operating the device, the garbage is dumped from the cart X on the perforated platform A. The liquid from the garbage is drained through the platform, and runs into the well V, the water seal of which prevents fumes from being blown from the incasement of the drier that emanates from the material. The fumes are forced through the inlet of the conduit c2 by the blast from the twyers D5. The garbage is spread .out on the platform, and tin cans glassware and other matters extraneous to the garbage, are separated from it. The garbage is then fed into the grinder Y, which crushes the bones and otherwise comminutes the garbage to particles of a size which secures a quick and uniform drying of the garbage, which, falling upon the elevator B is carried upward and is precipitated onto the carrier c1. This carrier is given a definite speed of travel in the direction indicated by an arrow, by means of the motor H, operatin through the bevel and worm gear H1. It 1s through regulated coperation of thev motor H, the fan -J and the furnace D thatthe needed volume of air to secure deodorization and proper heating of t-he garbage is effected. In this process not only is fermentative ac- `tion stopped, but also, the odors of that decomposition are removed from the garbage. As the garbage is carried toward the furnace D, it meets a blast of hot air, which is drawn from a high level in the building housing the plant, through the -air conduit TA by the induction and forcing fan J which forces the air successively through the conduit D1, the header D2, the heating pipes D3 and. the twyers D5. The heat-ing pipes VD3 are of cast iron, and are built in the masonry work of the furnace D. The dampers D6 regulate the amount of air passing through either one of these heater pipes. The pipes are heated by the burning o wooden boxes, barrels,paper, or other combustible mat-ter, in the furnace D, and the heat of'the air blast emerging from the twyers D5 is controlled bythe volume of air allowed to pass lthrough the damper con- --trolled conduit D1.v The. hotair is blown through the drier part of the device in counter-current to the travel of the garbage, which is consequently progressively heated, dried, aera-ted,` deodorized and sterilized. The formation of 'the upper incasement of the device C provides through` the upwardly buoyant effect of gravity for the maintenance of a stratum of the hottest gases at a high level in the drier.' As these gases cool they are drawn out by the action of the fan C3 through the conduit c2, and forced through the conduit C", to the air fo-r combustion. feeding device of the furnace D. 'lhc gases carrying moisture and fumes from the drying garbage, are forced through vthe burning fuel in the furnace D, thus decomposing and deodorizng organic matter in the gases. The furnace DI has a plurality of fuel feeding compartments, one or more of which may be operated independently of the others. The gases pass out of the furnace D through the gas exit G2, into the upper part of the water heater and are drawn downwardly through the water heater E, out through the gas exit E1, and are eX- hansted through the stack K. When it is desired to have a direct draft for the gases from the furnace into the stack K, the gases are allowed to pass through the damper controlled conduit K1. K can be increased by the injection of air forced by the fan J through the injection device K'controlled by the damper K3. Feed water and water of condensation are' fed into the water heater E, by the pump V, and by gravitating from the radiating pipe U. The water, as it is progressively heated in its upward passage through the device E, is pumped over into the boiler F, and becomes therein converted into steam which is used to operate the steam engine G' and the motor H.

ln the construction of the drier, inorder to prevent emission of fumes, provision is madeto prevent the passage of gases through the walls of the drier, except through the special conduits for heated air, and at the exit for the fume laden air. The door a2 is arranged for a tight closure, and the water seal in the pit l/V prevents entrancel of air or emission of fumes therethrough. The speed of the blower C3 is maintained at a rate to maintain an induced draft continually in the drier. The installation is housed in a building not shown in the drawing in which any fumes arising (fromthe garbage are caught at a high level in the building, and drawn downwardly, and finally used as air for combustion; the fumes beingadecomposed and deodorized by the heat of the furnace. The protective building housing .such a plant may be of any suitable type: A number of details which would necessarilybe included in pla-nts of this kind are not indicated in the` drawings.

The general ideas underlying the purpose of the inventionl herein described, are to economize heat and otherwise handle garbage in such a manner that that material may be conveniently, inoffensively and economically treated.

It will be observed that the principle as here applied in the heating and steiilizing processes in the plant, of providing work for heat of low degrees to accomplish of which such heat is capable, and of reserving heat of high intensity for doing Work of which that heat alone is capable of performing, is also adopted in heating air for use in the .plantg the air being heated progressively, first with low degrees of heat, and finally with the higher degrees of heat. The provision shown for conveying the exhaust steam from the engine G to a high level of the radiating pipe U, and then gradually bringing the condensing steam-in a downward travel to a lower zone, indicates the principle adopted of progressively heating The draft in the stack as'the air progressively rises.

There are many kinds of driers in eXistence, and it is common to dry and pulverize a large variety of substances; but so far as the applicant knows, no one prior to applicant had proposed applying this common process in treating the mixtures of vegetable and animal constituents, largely diluted with liquids, composing the usual household 1 food waste known as garbage, as a practical economic method of solving the problem of towns and cities as to the best disposition of such wastes. rllhe origination conceptively of such a plan, is invention; and the product produced, is a new one of value, being substantially of a nutritively balanced charac ter as to its food constituents, chemically and physically; and being safe to use for the purposes of feeding animals, after its reduction to a very fine condition of pulverulency and a thorough admixingof the constituent ingredients of the garbage by a special method of grinding, after its suflicient'drying and sterilization, to a physical condition which is essentially different from that of a product produced by grinding or pulverization to a. mere granular condition.

`What I claim as new is:

1. The method of treating garbage herein described, which consists in, comminuting, drying, aerating, deodorizing and sterilizing` garbage in which allthe food constituents of the garbage arel retained, and finally reducing the garbage to a finely pulverulent condition.

2., The method of treating garbage herein described, which consists in, separating extraneous materials from the garbage, reducing the garbage to particles of relatively uniform and small size, removing watery fluid from the garbage, spreading the gan" bage in a thin layer on a traveling conveyer,` bringing the spread garbage in progressive direct contact with a current of drying and heating gas of progressively increasing temperature, whereby the garbage is dried and sterilized, and comminuting the dried and sterilized garbage.

3. The method of treating garbage herein described,` which consists 1n, comminuting the garbage, drying, aerating, deodorizing andjsterilizing the garbage through the use of a mechanically forced heated blast of air, and using the air and fumes emanating fromthe garbage in the contact of the air with the garbage for supporting the combustion of fuel used in heating the mechanically forced blast of air, whereby the fumes from the garbage are decomposed, `deodorized, support combustion and the heat of the mechanically forced blastV is used regeneratively.

4. lThe method of treating garbage herein described, which consists in, drying and sterilizing garbage by the contact of a moving counter current of hot air, Preheat-ing the air used in drying and sterilizing the garbage by burning fuel through the aid of the Waste heat of air heated by low temperature heat generated for but not used in the step of drying and sterilizing the garbage, and more highly heating the preheated air to a sterilizing temperature, whereby some of the heat energy used in the process of drying the garbage is used regeneratively in cycle 1n carrying out the method.

5. The method of treating garbage herein described, which consists in, conveying the garbage to a place for its treating, maintainmg an open zone accessible for gases rising into such zone in the parts above said place of treating the garbage, Whereby'fumes from the garbage may rise into said open zone, preheating the air rising into said open zone with heat radiated from apparatus used in treating the garbage, exhausting the heated air from said open zone and forcing the air for use in drying, aerating and sterilizing the garbage and in the combustion of fuel, more highly heatin the air with the heat of said combustion, lowing the highly heated air into contact With the garbage While the garbage is being conveyed in a travel that is in counter-direction to the travel of the air that has been blown, preventing escape of malodorous fumes from the garbage While being treated, deodorizing the fumes and delivering at a high level in the atmosphere above the place Where the garbage is treated the gaseous products of the combustion and deodorizing process used in the treatment of the garbage.

6. The method of treating garbage herein described, which consists in, sorting extraneous matters from the garbage, removing dripping moisture from the garbage, comminuting the garbage, conveying the garbage to a drier, conveying the garbage through the drier in contact with a counter current travel of heated substantially pure air and at a rate of speed securing the drying, deodorization and sterilization of the garbage While in the drier, and removing the garbage from the drier in an unburned condition. Y

i JOSEPH MOSES WRD KITCHEN. Witnesses:

Gao. L. WnEnLocK, F. JACKSON. 

